Bloodgood 1986
Bloodgood 1986

Metal Missionaries!


Bloodgood Bloodgood
Bloodgood
(Frontline) 1986

Bloodgood (Intense Millennium) 1986/2010

1.   Accept The Lamb (3:45)
2.   Stand In The Light (3:42)
3.   Demon On The Run (3:56)
4.   Anguish And Pain (3:03)
5.   Awake! (4:12)
6.   Soldier Of Peace (3:13)
7.   You Lose (2:53)
8.   What's Following The Grave (5:01)
9.   Killing The Beast (4:40)
10. Black Snake (2:53)
2010 BONUS TRACKS
11. Awake! [Alternate Mix] (4:05)
12. Black Snake [Extended Version] (3:24)

2010 BONUS DISC
(Live At The Moore, Seattle, WA 07-12-86)
1.   Battle Of The Flesh (3:13)
2.   Awake (3:48)
3.   Soldier Of Peace (3:08)
4.   Accept The Lamb (3:49)
5.   Demon On The Run (4:20)
6.   Holy Fire (3:10)
7.   Stand In The Light (3:32)
8.   What's Following The Grave (6:30)
9.   You Lose (8:11)
10. Killing The Beast (3:51)
11. Crucify (3:08)
12. The Messiah (10:12)
13. Vagrant People (4:33)
14. Black Snake (5:20)
15. Anguish And Pain (3:10)

Autographed Bloodgood LP.

In 1987 Christian heavy metal was a fairly new animal. Church's across the U.S. were protesting it, while others were glad to see band's willing to take a Christian message into a scene that generally was associated with dark imagery and lyrics. Stryper were the first band to really gain success. Bands like Saint and Bloodgood soon followed. In 1987 I was a new Christian and I was absolutely stoked to find a real metal band with Christian based lyrics at the time.  However, with or without the lyrics, Bloodgood are a powerful metal band and quality songs writers. Les Carlsen's raspy, high ptiched howl is incredible and one of the defining factors in the band's sound. The majority of Bloodgood's debut is solid, mid-paced, 80's heavy metal. However, Bloodgood offer a bit of diversity with tracks like "Black Snake", which is a fast speed metal song, and "What's Following The Grave", a ballad with a powerful, thoughtful message. However, my favorite song is the heavy "Killing the Beast", a song with a slight Iron Maiden-vibe. Overall, this album was one of the earliest and most influencial discs of the early Christian metal movement.

Originally released on Frontline Records in 1986, Bloodgood's self-titled album had been out of print for many years. In 1999 KMG re-issued "Bloodgood" along with the band's sophomore release "Detonation" as a single disc collection. However, the reissue was poorly done with only a single page insert with very poor liner notes and no photos. In other words, it's cheap! As such, the original pressings were still highly sought after by collector's. In 2010 Intense Millennium Records put out a proper reissue of "Bloodgood". Besides remastering the CD to give it a brighter, more dynamic sound, they also added two bonus studio tracks. I personally found the two alternative tracks amusing. The additional vocals in "Awake!" sounded bizarre at first, mostly because I am use to hearing the song a certain way. However, it was cool to hear a different take on the song. The extended version of "Black Snake" is about 30 seconds longer than the album version and is raw than slightly more raw than the album version. There is an extended guitar solo at the end of the song that isn't in the original version. The remaster also seems to flow more smoothly from song to song. The 2010 reissue features new cover art, as well as the original classic cover art so that either can be displayed in the jewel case. The 8-page insert includes classic photos of the band, lyrics and liner notes.

Those fortunate enough to get in on the first 100 pre-orders received a bonus disc of live Bloodgood material. The bonus CD features a show recorded live at The Moore Club in Seattle, WA in 1986. The sound quality on these live tracks is bootleg quality, but any Bloodgood die-hard will surely love hearing this. The pre-release also came with a sticker of the original classic album cover art. Frankly I much prefer the original cover to the new cover.

Mortification covered "Black Snake" on their "Live Planetarium" disc.

Detonation Detonation 2010
Bloodgood - Detonation
(Frontline) 1987

Bloodgood - Detonation (Intense Millenium) 1987/2010

1.  Battle Of The Flesh  (2:45)
2.  Vagrant People (3:47)
3.  Self-Destruction (3:33)
4.  Alone In Suicide (4:03)
5.  Heartbeat (Of The City) (3:28)
5.  Eat The Flesh (4:02)
6.  Holy Fire (3:13)
7.  Crucify (3:08)
8.  The Messiah (4:40)
9.  Live Wire (2:36)
BONUS TRACKS (Metal Mardi Gras 1987)
10.  Crucify [live] (3:18)
11.  The Messiah [live] (8:04)

2010 BONUS DISC
(Metal Mardi Gras, Carson, CA 1987)
1.   Live Wire (2:42)
2.   Awake (4:00)
3.   Eat The Flesh (3:43)
4.   Holy Fire (3:22)
5.   Crucify (3:23)
6.   The Messiah (8:41)
7.   Demon On The Run (4:07)
8.   Band Introduction (1:18)
9.   Black Snake (3:58)
10. Stand In The Light (4:24)
11. Interview 'kcms' The Rock   (8:43)
12. Radio Ad: Detonation, April 87 (1:00)
Bloodgood 1987
David Zaffiro & Michael Bloodgood
1987

Bloodgood's follow-up to their highly acclaimed debut had to be a solid effort, and indeed it was. "Detonation was the perfect follow-up. The production was improved, the song writing was better, the musicianship was tighter and the overall emotion of the album was second to none. The band still had a blend of faster songs, mid-paced metal and the soulful ballads. This time around the band added some theatrical elements, that would soon become a big part of their live shows. "Battle of the Flesh" is simply one of Bloodgood's finest songs, and along with "Black Snake" is pure American speed metal. "Alone in Suicide" is a David Zaffiro penned ballad that simply oozes with emotion. However, the songs that became the calling card for Bloodgood was the theatrical "Crucify" and "The Messiah". These two songs flow together like Queen's "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions". The two simply cannot be separated and made "Detonation" the landmark album it is. Of course, the bold Christian stance that Bloodgood took with their lyrics was every bit as present on "Detonation" as it was on their debut. "Detonation" is a great metal album by a great metal band.

Originally released on Frontline Records in 1987, much like the band's debut, "Detonation" was out of print for many years and became a collector's item amongst metal fans. In 1999 KMG re-issued "Detonation" along with the band's debut as a single disc collection. However, the reissue was not remastered and contained a cheap single page insert with very poor liner notes and no photos. Finally in 2010 Intense Millennium Records put out a proper reissue of "Bloodgood" that is completely remastered bringing the sound to modern standards. Two live bonus tracks were added from the infamous Metal Mardi Gras show that was formerly released on VHS tape. The 2010 reissue features new cover art, as well as the original classic cover art so that either can be displayed in the jewel case. I personally prefer the original cover to the new cover. The 8-page insert includes classic photos of the band, lyrics and liner notes.

Those fortunate enough to snag one of the first 100 pre-orders received a bonus disc of live Bloodgood material. The bonus CD features an audience recording of the entire Metal Marti Gras show. The sound quality on these live tracks is bootleg quality, but Bloodgood die-hards such as myself will still enjoy hearing this classic performance. The pre-release also came with a sticker of the original classic album cover art.

Rock In A Hard Place Bloodgood - Rock In a Hard Place (Intense) 1988

1.   "Shakin' It" (2:52)
2.   "Never Be the Same" (3:59)
3.   "Presense" (3:29)
4.   "What Have I Done?" (3:41)
5.   "Heaven on Earth" (3:43)
6.   "Do or Die" (2:21)
7.   "She's Gone" (4:29)
8.   "World (Keeps Movin' Around)" (4:09)
9.   "Seven" (4:47)


Mark Welling, David Zaffiro, Les Carlsen, Michael Bloodgood

This disc was a lot more melodic than Bloodgood's first two albums, signaling a change in direction, or so I thought. Still there are some great songs on here. "She's Gone" is a mesmerizing guitar ballad with a repeating piano part and "Shakin' It" is a heavy boogie rocker. One strange thing about this disc is that the bass is completely missing from the mix. I remember reading some years back that Michael Bloodgood's basslines were erased from most of the tapes shortly before their release date/deadline. How that heck could that happen? Funny thing is, it doesn't effect the songs that much, but the mix is a bit on the trebly side. The exception would be "Seven" where the bass is present and becomes critical to the song.

Well, it seems I was wrong about the bass lines. This is what Michael Bloodgood had to say:

Hi,
I wanted to let you know about my bass lines on the Rock in a Hard Place release. The bass guitar is there, if you listen really hard! It turns out the studio we recorded in (Bear Creek) had a ton of false low-end that our producer wasn't aware of when he was mixing, which is why there is such a lack of low end; it's not just the bass that seems missing, but the entire low spectrum. And no one seemed to catch it when it was mastered, either. If you own a copy of RHP on vinyl, you can really hear the bass guitar better than on CD or cassette. Needless to say, when RHP came out I was very disappointed with the mastered product. Anyway, I came across your website tonight and read the review about the missing bass lines and I wanted to set the record straight (no pun intended).

Keep rockin',
Michael Bloodgood

Out of the Darkness Bloodgood - Out of the Darkness (Intense) 1989

1. "Out of the Darkness" (3:43)
2. "Let My People Go" (4:09)
3. "America" (4:04)
4. "It's Alright" (3:44)
5. "Top Of the Mountain" (6:30)
6. "Hey! You" (4:04)
7. "Mad Do World" (4:24)
8. "Changing Me" (6:38)
9. "New Age Illusion" (3:18)


Les Carlsen & Michael Bloodgood

"Out of the Darkness" is much heavier than "Rock in A Hard Place" but still retains much of the melodic nature; sort of like a mix of the first three albums. Still, this album would be tame compared to much of the metal coming out in 1989. Long time guitarist David Zaffiro is gone and replaced by guitar shredder Paul Jackson. "Out of the Darkness" contains three of my favorite Bloodgood songs: the title track, "Top of the Mountain," and "Changing Me," the later two being incredibly emotional and personal ballads. Bought this disc as a new release.

Bloodgood - Alive in America Vol. 1 (Intense) 1990

1. "Out of the Darkness" (3:54)
2. "Do Or Die" (2:23)
3. "It's Alright" (4:01)
4. "Hey You!" (4:15)
5. "Alone in Suicide" (4:06)
6. "She's Gone" (4:12)
7. "Heaven on Earth" (3:43)
8. "Shakin' It" (2:49)
9. "Soldier of Peace" (3:35)
10. "America" (3:50)
11. "Never Be The Same" (3:45)
12. "Medley: Demon on the Run/Killing the Beast/Battle of the Flesh/Black Snake" (5:50)

When this first came out I had really lost interest in Bloodgood as I was mostly buying thrash and speed metal. A few years later I was getting back into the melodic metal and power metal stuff, so I began to look for the two similtaneously released live discs. Of course they were out of print and have become a major pain to find. I managed to find this one relatively cheap ($5.99) but Volume Two eluded me for years.

Shakin' the World Bloodgood - Live Vol. II/Shakin' The World (Intense) 1990

1. "Let My People Go" (4:22)
2. "Mad Dog World" (4:33)
3. "Top of the Mountain" (5:59)
4. "Awake" (4:00)
5. "Eat the Flesh" (3:57)
6. "Holy Fire" (2:59)
7. "Crucify" (5:04)
8. "The Sixth Hour" (2:04)
9. "The Messiah" (4:18)
10. "Accept the Lamb" (:19)
11. "Seven" (6:51)
12. "New Age Illusion" (4:42)

YEAH!!! At long last, the missing disc in my Bloodgood collection. I searched for years for this final disc and could still kick myself for not buying it when it was readily available. Why I purchased a crappy cassette I do not know. Well, now I have it and the collection is complete. Thanks Olaf, for finding this gem for me.


Les Carlsen

All Stand Together Bloodgood - All Stand Together (Broken) 1991

1. "S.O.S." (3:52)
2. "All Stand Together" (4:19)
3. "Escape From The Fire" (5:27)
4. "Out Of Love" (2:39)
5. "Say Goodbye" (3:41)
6. "Kingdom Come" (4:12)
7. "Fear No Evil" (3:47)
8. "Help Me" (4:21)
9. "Rounded Are The Rocks" (4:09)
10. "Lies In The Dark" (4:50)
11. "Streetlight Dancer" (3:49)
12. "I Want To Live In Your Heart" (4:31)

I guess Bloodgood couldn't make up their mind if they wanted to be a heavy power metal band ("Detonation") or a commercial metal band ("Rock in A Hard Place"). While their last studio disc was return to their heavier sound, "All Stand Together" once again returns to the more commercial sounds of Dokken. Still, not a bad disc, just not as heavy as some of the others. Bloodgood have alway been good song writers and especially proficient at writting ballads and power ballads, so it's no wonder that the best song is "I Want To Live In Your Heart," a power ballad with a killer hook. This disc is now out of print and especially hard to find, but I managed to find five copies a few years ago in a bargain bin for ninety nine cents each. I already owned the disc, but I picked up all five anyhow and traded them on the internet.

Bloodgood - To Germany With Love (SB) 1993

1. "Intro/Kingdom Come" (4:43)
2. "Heaven On Earth" (3:57)
3. "Let My People Go" (5:51)
4. "Out for Love" (4:11)
5. "All Stand Together" (5:05)
6. "Hey You!" (4:30)
7. "Anguish and Pain" (5:52)
8. "Escape from the Fire" (6:57)
9. "I Want to Live in Your Heart" (4:08)
10. "Self Destruction/Drum Solo" (6:39)
11. "Crucify" (4:06)
12. "Intro/Messiah" (9:57)
13. "Seven" (5:44)

From right to left: me, Les Carlsen, and a friend.

This live disc was originally only released in Germany. Only 990 hand numbered copies were released, thus it became a hot seller on eBay fetching a hefty price. (Sometimes selling for over $200.00! Ouch!) The sound quality is good for a live recording. Recorded March 25, 26, & 28 at Freudenstadt, Erlangen, Stuttgart Germany. I have one of the original copies-my copy is #351. It was a gift from a friend in Germany. Also have a sealed copy of the new release, see below.

To Germany ,With Love! Bloodgood - To Germany With Love (Magdelen/M8) 2000 reissue

1. "Intro/Kingdom Come" (4:43)
2. "Heaven On Earth" (3:57)
3. "Let My People Go" (5:51)
4. "Out for Love" (4:11)
5. "All Stand Together" (5:05)
6. "Hey You!" (4:30)
7. "Anguish and Pain" (5:52)
8. "Escape from the Fire" (6:57)
9. "I Want to Live in Your Heart" (4:08)
10. "Self Destruction/Drum Solo" (6:39)
11. "Crucify" (4:06)
12. "Intro/Messiah" (9:57)
13. "Seven" (5:44)


Michael Bloodgood

As stated above, this disc was originally only released in Germany in a limited number of 990 hand numbered copies. In the year 2000. however, M8 Distribution re-issued 2,000 more copies in the U.S., with different cover art. The original is still very hard to find and sells for more on auction sites, but the re-issue has brought the price tag down quite a bit.

Rock Theater Bloodgood - Rock Theater (independent) 2003

DISC ONE
1. "Out of the Darkness"
2. "Do or Die"
3. "It's Alright"
4. "Let My People Go"
5. "Top of the Mountain"
6. "Mad Dog World"
7. "Hey You!"
8. "Alone in Suicide"
9. "She's Gone"
10. "Heaven on Earth"
11. "Shakin' It"
12. "Soldier of Peace"
13. "America"

DISC TWO
14. "Awake!"
15. "Eat the Flesh"
16. "Holy Fire"
17. "Crucify: The Trial"
18. "Crucify: The Verdict"
19. "Crucify: The Crucifixion"
20. "The Messiah"
21. "Seven"
22. "New Age Illusion"
23. "Never Be the Same"
24. "Medley: Demon On the Run"
25. "Medley: Killing The Beast"
26. "Medley: Battle of the Flesh"
27. "Medley: Black Snake"

Simply outstanding! Bloodgood at their finest with a host of actors, dancers, etc., acting out scenes from the Bible and Bloodgood songs. This video was originally released on two VHS tapes, "Alive in America: Live Volume One" (1990) and "Shakin' the World: Live Volume Two" (1990).

Set List
Autographed set list from Cornerstone California '07

Bloodgood
Bloodgood autographed promo photo


Dangerously Close Bloodgood - Dangerously Close (B.Goode Records) 2013

1. Lamb of God (3:24)
2. Run Away (3:27)
3. Child On Earth (5:30)
4. I Will (3:27)
5. Bread Alone (4:09)
6. Pray (2:51)
7. I Can Hold On (4:16)
8. Run the Race (4:04)
9. Father Father (4:05)
10. Man in the Middle (4:09)
11. Crush Me (2:51)
12. In the Trenches (5:00

Though Bloodgood has been performing live over the decades since their 1991 release "All Stand Together", "Dangerously Close" is their first studio release since that time. For this release the band employed a popular fan-funding program to raise the money they needed to record this new album. What resulted sounds as if the band had not been away from the studio for 22 years. "Dangerously Close" is a melodic heavy metal/hard rock album that could have been the immediate follow-up to "All Stand Together".  

Original members Michael Bloodgood and Les Carlsen remain along with longtime drummer Kevin Whistler (drums), longtime guitarist Paul Jackson and guitarist Oz Fox of Stryper fame. As usual vocalist Les Carlson gives the band their charm and charisma. Les exhibits a high but raspy vocals style that is uniquely his own. There is no mistaking Les for some other singer. His voice, phrasing and charisma are endearing. As might be expected from Bloodgood, the lyrics are 100% based on Christian ideals. Bloodgood has always been a band that wholeheartedly stood firm in their faith, and the lyrics on "Dangerously Close" are no exception. 

The album opens with one of the band's heavier songs, "Lamb of God". This song is built around a heavy riff and a catchy chorus and also has a blazing guitar solo, something sorely missed from many modern rock bands. "Run Away" follows up and is another fairly heavy song with a groove based riff. "Child on Earth" has a slightly more modern tone but still fits neatly into the melodic hard rock sound. "I Will" is a bit of an oddity. This song has a Middle Eastern vibe to the guitar work while the main bass riff that drives the song is lifted directly from Ozzy Osbourne's "No More Tears". Another standout track is "Man in the Middle" a heavy rocker penned by Oz Fox and Carlsen. The album ends with a heavy and oddly dark sounding song titled "In the Trenches".

"Dangerously Close" may very well be one of the best from Bloodgood. Of course it's hard to overcome nostalgia. Those old 80's albums will always hold a special place, but "Dangerously Close" is a fine addition to the Bloodgood catalog. Here is hoping we don't have to wait another 20 years for a follow-up. 

Related Collections:
David Zaffiro

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